The paper contains the description of Pyotr Ya. Galperin’s scientific biography stages. P.Ya. Galperin (1902–1988) is an outstanding Russian psychologist, the founder of an original psychological concept. The paper shows how P.Ya. Galperin’s scientific views were logically developing when he was working on the theory of gradual development of human intellectual activity that analyzes the process of constructing basic components of mental activity and creates the conditions for transforming the action into a psychological phenomenon.

The biography is compiled on the basis of publications and talks of P.Ya. Galperin, the memories of colleagues and friends, using numerous archives. By now, only the main events in the life of a scientist have been marked. The paper presents the data that could be verified by referring to P.Yа. Galperin’s CV and data of the Academic Council of the Faculty of Psychology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, stored in the Archive of Lomonosov Moscow State University, and P.Yа. Galperin’s science archive passed by the grandson Yakov I. Abramson to the Archive of the Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The family archives failed to survive because of the frequent relocation, and P.Ya. Galperin did not write a detailed autobiography, so the task of clarifying the facts of his biography is relevant.

All periods of P.Ya. Galperin’s scientific creative life are presented, his participation in scientific and practical events starting with the mid-1920s is mentioned. The 1930- 1940s are the most difficult years for event recovery. 55 years of professional and personal life (from 1943 and until his death in 1988) are associated with Lomonosov Moscow State University, therefore the focus is on P.Ya. Galperin as an outstanding Professor of Moscow University, i.e. the author of the original theory of the orientating nature and function of human mind, the organizing force in psychology. 

The conclusion highlights how the modern scholars are preserving the scientific heritage of P.Ya. Galperin.

An analysis of the cultural and historical theory of L. Vygotsky is considered. It is shown that in its essence this theory belongs to non-classical psychology. The main ideas concerning the development of the human individual in education put forward by scientists in the framework of this theory are considered.